Top 10 Athletes Who Sabotaged Their Careers

Although many athletes have had stellar careers, some have tarnished their legacies due to foolish decisions or criminal acts. Here’s a look at the top 10.

10. Pete Rose (1941 – Reds, Phillies, Expos – Reds Manager)

In August 1989, three years after retiring as a player, Rose accepted a lifetime ban from baseball after accusations surfaced that he had bet on games, both as a player and manager for the Reds. Some claims suggested he bet on, and even against, the Reds. After years of denial, he admitted in 2004 that he had only bet on the Reds, not against them. When his ban was enforced, the Baseball Hall of Fame voted to exclude anyone on the ‘permanently ineligible’ list. Despite his legions of fans continuing to advocate for his induction, no one has budged on the matter. It’s a stark reminder of just how reckless it is to gamble while working in the MLB. Nice move, Charlie Hustle.

Despite his impressive achievements on the field, Ray Lewis' reputation took a hit after a Super Bowl party on January 31, 2000. Following the event, a violent altercation led to the deaths of 21-year-old Jacinth Baker and 24-year-old Richard Lollar from stab wounds. Lewis, along with two friends, Reginald Oakley and Joseph Sweeting, were brought in for questioning by Atlanta police. During this time, Lewis lied to investigators, claiming he didn’t know the other suspects. However, his limo driver contradicted him, stating that he saw Lewis punch one of the victims. The driver also revealed that Lewis told the others to remain silent and that Oakley and Sweeting had said “I stabbed mine.” Eleven days later, all three men were indicted for murder and aggravated assault. Lewis eventually struck a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstruction of justice in exchange for testifying against Oakley and Sweeting. He received one year of probation, a $250,000 fine (which was a record for the NFL at the time), but was not suspended. Despite this, Lewis continued to dominate on the field. My hero!

On May 15, 1912, at Highland Park in New York, the Detroit Tigers were facing off against the hometown New York Highlanders. In the stands, a fan named Claude Lueker relentlessly heckled Ty Cobb every time the Georgia Peach stepped up to bat. According to eyewitnesses, Lueker threw insults and slurs at Cobb, and by the fifth inning, Cobb had enough. He warned the Highlanders’ manager and the umpires that if Lueker wasn’t ejected, things would get ugly. When Lueker called Cobb a “half-nigger” in the sixth inning, Cobb jumped into the stands and began attacking him. As Cobb pummeled him, other fans tried to stop him, pleading that Lueker had no hands, having lost them in an industrial accident years earlier. Cobb, still in a rage, responded, “I don’t care if he’s got no feet!” The incident led to Cobb’s immediate indefinite suspension by American League Commissioner Ban Johnson. So much for reputation preservation, huh? I’m not even a half-‘N-Word’, but I probably would’ve done the same thing.

On June 25, 2007, professional wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel were discovered dead in their Fayetteville, GA, home around 2:30 p.m. Police had conducted a welfare check after Benoit missed several appointments. Inside, they found the bodies of all three. Investigators determined that over a span of three days, Benoit murdered his wife and son before taking his own life. The WWE, in a rushed tribute to Benoit’s career, aired a two-hour segment about him… but they hadn’t yet realized it was a double murder-suicide. The segment aired until nearly the end, when the truth was finally uncovered. Oops, talk about putting your foot in your mouth.

Strawberry's descent into trouble began with casual alcohol use, which eventually spiraled into experimenting with cocaine and amphetamines. He had been drinking beer since high school, but drugs became part of his routine when he joined the Mets, where he tried to fit in with the team’s post-game beer parties. This often led to all-night benders, and he started using amphetamines to battle hangovers before games. By 1987, he was drinking nightly and using more cocaine. Despite posting career highs in batting average (.283), home runs (39), and RBIs (104), his behavior began to irritate the Mets organization. He skipped spring training and missed a late-season game, claiming to be ill. In January 1989, Strawberry was arrested for domestic violence. He briefly entered alcohol rehab but never admitted to his drug issues. His personal life mirrored his career’s collapse—he began drinking again to cope with a back injury and personal struggles, which quickly escalated to cocaine use. In 1993, after an altercation with a homeless man, he divorced his wife and later made the notorious comment, “Let it burn,” when hearing about rioting in Los Angeles. In 1994, the IRS revealed he owed $146,000 in back taxes, and facing bankruptcy, he resorted to more alcohol and cocaine. After failing a drug test, he was cut by the Giants and banned for 60 days. His troubles continued, and in April 1999, he was arrested for cocaine possession after attempting to solicit an undercover officer posing as a prostitute. His suspension from the Yankees followed, and his career appeared to be finished. A truly rocky ride.

On November 19, 2004, Ron Artest became the center of one of the most infamous brawls in basketball history. The Pacers were facing the Detroit Pistons in Auburn Hills, Michigan, when Artest fouled Pistons center Ben Wallace during a late-game shot attempt. Wallace, angered by the hard foul with the game all but decided (Pacers leading 97-82), shoved Artest, sparking a confrontation near the scorer's table. Artest, already visibly frustrated, walked to the sideline and laid down on the scorer’s table, mocking Wallace. Wallace then threw an armband at him, which led to Artest being hit with a beer cup thrown by Pistons fan John Green. Artest, in a fit of rage, jumped into the front-row seats to confront the fan, who he mistakenly thought was the culprit, igniting a full-blown brawl between fans and several Pacers players. After returning to the court, Artest punched a fan, A.J. Shackleford, who had been taunting him. The game was called off with less than a minute remaining. The aftermath was harsh: Artest, along with teammates Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, was suspended indefinitely, and the NBA handed down a record-breaking 73-game suspension for Artest, including playoff games—the longest suspension for an on-court altercation in NBA history. Now that’s a highlight moment… not.

In July 1991, Tyson was arrested for the rape of Miss Black Rhode Island, Desree Washington, in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson was convicted of this crime on February 10, 1992. The trial is detailed in Mark Shaw's book, *Down For The Count*, which suggests that Tyson might not have been convicted had he received proper legal counsel and thus did not have a fair trial. Under Indiana law, a person convicted of a felony must begin serving their sentence immediately. Tyson received a six-year sentence and was released in March 1995 after serving three years. In 1997, Tyson's second fight with Holyfield became infamous when Tyson was disqualified for biting both of Holyfield's ears, with one bite taking off part of Holyfield’s right ear. Tyson claimed he bit Holyfield in retaliation for repeated headbutts that went unpenalized. Following the incident, chaos broke out in the arena, and several people were injured. On July 29, 1997, Tyson’s boxing license was revoked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which also fined him $3 million and ordered him to pay the legal fees. The revocation wasn’t permanent, as his license was reinstated on October 18, 1998, with a 4-1 vote. However, legal troubles continued. In 1999, Tyson was sentenced to a year in prison, fined $5,000, given two years probation, and required to perform 200 hours of community service for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident on August 31, 1998. He served nine months of that sentence. Tyson’s turbulent life outside the ring was marked by substance abuse and reckless behavior, which often overshadowed his undeniable boxing talents.

On November 16, 1999, near Rae Carruth’s residence in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cherica Adams, a woman he had been seeing, was shot four times during a drive-by shooting. Despite her wounds, Adams was able to call 911 and recount what had happened: Carruth had stopped his car in front of hers, while another vehicle pulled up beside her and its passenger shot her. After the shooting, Carruth fled the scene. Adams was eight months pregnant with Carruth’s child, and it was later revealed that she was carrying twins. She fell into a coma shortly after being hospitalized. Doctors were able to save one child, but the other died due to complications. Carruth went to the police and posted a $3 million bond under the agreement that if either Adams or the children died, he would surrender. When Adams passed away, Carruth became a fugitive. The Panthers released him, citing a morals clause in his contract. Eventually, he was caught hiding in the trunk of a car outside a motel in Parkers Crossroads, Tennessee, along with $3,900 in cash, bottles to collect his urine, extra clothes, candy bars, and a cell phone. During his trial, Carruth, defended by attorney David Rudolph, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder through a drive-by shooting and causing the death of an unborn child. He received a sentence of 18 to 24 years in prison. However, Carruth was acquitted of first-degree murder, avoiding the death penalty. He is serving at least 18 years and 11 months in Nash Correctional Institution near Raleigh, NC, with a projected release date of October 22, 2018. Shooting a pregnant woman—instant ticket to Hell, no doubt. Congrats.

Michael Dwayne Vick, a former National Football League (NFL) quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended and served a 23-month prison sentence for his involvement in a criminal conspiracy linked to illegal dog fighting. In 2007, a U.S. federal district court convicted him, and in 2008, a trial was set for related charges in Virginia stemming from his role in the dog fighting ring and associated gambling operations. Vick is currently incarcerated at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. His downfall is a textbook example of how to sabotage a promising quarterback career. His actions have earned him a seat on the same bus as Rae Carruth. Dog fighting—utterly despicable.

Beyond his illustrious Hall of Fame football career, O.J. Simpson is infamous for his highly publicized trial in which he was accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994. Despite being acquitted in criminal court in 1995, the trial became one of the most sensational events in American history. In 1997, Simpson was found civilly liable for their deaths, but has paid little of the $3 million in damages. His notoriety was reignited in 2006 when he wrote a controversial book titled *If I Did It*, which presented a fictionalized account of how he might have committed the murders. The book was initially pulled from publication but was later released by the Goldman family under the new title *If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer*. In September 2007, Simpson ran into even more legal trouble, facing numerous felony charges including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and kidnapping. He was convicted for his actions, but his criminal record, despite all the evidence, still leaves some unsure of his true guilt. Regardless of public opinion, he remains as criminally stained as anyone can be, in my view. And as Simpson spends his time on the golf course searching for the 'real killer,' avoiding his financial obligations, I still believe he deserves the harshest penalty possible. The man has blood on his hands—no other way to see it.

Contributor: StewWriter